The present invention relates to a paper roll loading device for use in a copying machine, facsimile equipment, recording instrument, teletypewriter, computer input/output printer or the like.
The conventional paper roll loading devices of this type known heretofore are such as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3. In the example of FIG. 1, a center shaft 1 to be fitted into the center hole of a recording paper roll and a stationary support member 2 are formed individually to be separate from each other, wherein the center shaft 1 disengaged from a recess 11 of the stationary support member 2 is fitted into the center hole of recording paper roll 12 and then is set in the recess 11 of stationary support member 2. In this device, although alignment of the center line is easily attained, it is liable to cause loss of the center shaft due to the structure that the center shaft and the stationary support member are separate in composition. Further the operation of fitting the center shaft into the recording paper roll or setting the same in the stationary support member can hardly be performed by a single hand without trouble. And there exists further disadvantage that the paper roll is permitted to freely rotate since it is held merely by the center shaft alone, so that the roll may undesirably loose during use.
In the example of FIG. 2, each of support members 14 is composed of an elastic material, and a stationary boss 13 is attached thereto. And when loading paper roll 12, it is necessary to align the center hole of the paper roll with the stationary bosses while widening the space between the elastic support members 14 by hand. This device is disadvantageous in the points that, in addition to a troublesome paper loading operation, aligning the center line is difficult.
And in the device of FIG. 3, a spring 15 and a stationary boss 13 with an adjuster 16 are attached to a stationary support member 2 in such a manner that the stationary boss 13 is fittable into the center hole of recording paper roll 12. And when loading the paper roll, first the space between the stationary bosses is widened by the adjuster 16, and then the paper roll is inserted in the space with its center hole being aligned with the stationary bosses. According to this device, there are also some problems including inconvenient loading operation and difficult alignment of the center line.
As is clear from the above, demerits are concomitant with merits in each of the conventional devices wherein looseness of the paper roll occurs during use if alignment of the center line is easily attainable, or loading the paper roll becomes troublesome and aligning the center line is difficult if the occurrence of loosening of the roll is prevented. Thus, there is not such a satisfactory device available today that is capable of effecting easy loading of the paper roll and easy alignment of the center line without loosening of the paper roll during use.